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Intelligence on Earth
Also see: Intelligence, Development of intelligence The hypothetical rise of intelligence is of great interest in speculative biology projects, not only among alien beings, but also here on Earth, where there already are a number of species that could, one day, develop greater and greater cognitive capabilities. As established here, evolution of intelligence has five main requisites: *a complex nervous system (possibly not necessary for genetic sentience); *an energy-rich metabolism that supports said nervous system (best with high-energy food); *manipulator organs to hold and use tools; *a social organization with extensive brood care (necessary for culture, non intelligence per se); *an incentive to complex thinking (changing environment, hard-to-obtain food, strategic socialization, etc.). See here a related discussion on the forum. Mammals Mammals have some features that give them an advantage on other animal groups when it comes to intelligence: their metabolism is much faster than in every other group besides birds, they have a well developed brain, and their reproduction is based on a strong physical bond between mother and offspring, which makes easier the transmission of acquired knowledge through generations. 'Primates' *'Manipulators': grasping hands with opposable thumbs, prehensile tail in some species. *'Feeding habits': omnivorous, almost continuous search of small quantities of food. *'Society': very complex groups with (usually male) hierarchies and political alliances. *'Typical EQ': 1.5 - 2.5 Of course, primates have very advanced cognitive abilities, especially apes: these include an extensive use of tools, complex comunication (mostly based on voice), traces of metacognition, a well-developed empathy and a remarkable ability in mind theory, which allows them to take part in a complex social structure with subtle political games of rivalries and alliances (except for orangutans, which are mostly solitary but not less intelligent). The most studied species among primates is the common chimpanzee, able to manipulate a wide range of tools - including rocks, sticks, branches, leaves - and to learn a great number of words to communicate through written pictograms (see here). Primates' prehensile hands are among the best manipulating organs in the animal kingdom. All the great apes, though, are highly endangered, and they probably won't produce other sapient species in the future. 'Cetaceans' *'Manipulators': none (dolphins hold objects with the snout). *'Feeding habits': active aquatic hunters (toothed whales) or carnivorous filterers (baleen whales). *'Society'[1]: solitary (most baleen whales) to small family groups; extensive offspring care. *'Typical EQ': 0.5 - 2.5 Cetaceans notoriously include the living species with the second highest EQ after man - the bottlenose dolphin, with an astonishing EQ of 5.9. The cetacean brain has also a thick and rich neocortex, and in largest dolphin species can weigh several kilograms. Their language, mostly based on high-frequency sounds that in some cases can travel for thousands of kilometres, can be very complex and culturally diversified (different populations of the same species "speak" different dialects). Baleen whales, living on an abundant and passive foodsource (krill and plankton) tend to be less intelligent than toothed whales, that actively hunt fish and seabirds. Dolphins use specific calls as proper nouns, and take part both in highly coordinated hunt and in complex playing behaviours, such as producing bubble vortexes; though often violent and aggressive with other sea mammals or even other dolphins, they have a well-developed sense of empathy and they're able to recognise themselves in a mirror. Their largest fault with regard to intelligence is the lack of specialized manipulation organs, which greatly hinders tool-using abilities. 'Elephants' *'Manipulators': a single boneless trunk, dexterous and versatile. *'Feeding habits': constant browsing of low-energy leaves, grasses and bark. *'Society': small matriarchal groups with calves, solitary males. *'Typical EQ': 1.5 - 2.0 The brain of an adult elephant can weigh up to 5 kg and has an extensive neocortex. Elephants are able to express a wide range of emotions and go through a particularly long childhood (up to 10 years long), which allows the effective teaching of learnt skills. Especially well-developed abilities include memory (they appear to suffer from PTSD), self-consciousness and empathy: the elephant brain, like the primate brains, contains a great number of mirror neurons (the brain cells that fire both when an individual performs an action and when it sees it performed by someone else, easing the identification between self and others); they also seem to have simple mathematical skills. Finally, elephants are the only non-human animals that maintain ritual behaviours associated with death. The muscular trunk is a good manipulation organ, though less versatile than a pair of hands. 'Canids' *'Manipulators': none (can only hold objects with the mouth). *'Feeding habits': often hunt of large preys in packs, strategic behaviour. *'Society': usually large packs, often territorial, with a hierarchical structure, complex communication. *'Typical EQ': ~1.5 Dogs, and most of their close relatives, are by nature pack animals, and they have an extensive understanding of hierarchies and mutual obligations, something that could help developing the mind theory. They can easily be taught many specific and complex behaviours, though they often need to have an innate disposition, and they appear to be able to interpret human facial expressions. Still, most of these skills are a product of domestication, and they all partake in social behaviour, with little regard for problem solving. Wolves are not as responsive to study as dogs, but they seem to have a remarkable ability in connecting events (for example, recognising humans approaching from the noise of vehicles). Cooperative pack hunting of large preys stimulates simple strategic thought, which in turn can be a powerful source of cognitive development. 'Bears' *'Manipulators': can hold small objects with the paws. *'Feeding habits': usually omnivorous, mostly plant matter, occasional hunt. *'Society': mostly solitary, sometimes small groups of unrelated young individuals. *'Typical EQ': 1.0 - 1.5 Different bear species have a surprisingly high EQ, sometimes comparable to that of a monkey. Besides their great sensorial acuity, they have great navigational and food-finding skills and display a remarkable curiosity, on par with primates - the interest in exploring is a necessary step towards possible sapience. Their lifestyle is partially similar to that of apes, except for their solitary leanings. The largest bears, such as the grizzly and the polar bear, are not as smart as the smaller ones, while the giant panda - besides being endangered - feed on plant matter extremely poor in energy. The best contestants for greater intelligence are the medium-sized, omnivorous species, especially the black bear (Ursus americanus): this seems to be able to distinguish different numbers. 'Pinnipeds' *'Manipulators': none. *'Feeding habits': carnivorous, usually hunt of small aquatic animals. *'Society': large undifferentiated groups, play behaviour. *'Typical EQ': 1.0 - 1.5 Seals, walruses and sealions are other animals with a remarkably high EQ, perhaps outcome of their active hunting lifestyle. The California sia lion (Zalophus californianus) Rio showed the ability to classify object in abstract categories, associating different pictures of animals according to similarity, or by the trasitivity (if A→B and B→C, then A→C): these primitive logical skill is a prerequisite, and possibly a precursor, to true language; and also an excellent memory, remembering the categories after ten years. In a less stunning way, walruses can learn their calls to other individuals and modify them according to responses. Pinnipeds don't have manipulator organs, though many species still retain distinct fingers which could possibly be readapted for manipulation. 'Raccoons' *'Manipulators': grasping semi-prehensile hands. *'Feeding habits': omnivorous, mostly plants and small preys. *'Society': sometimes small groups of unrelated males or females, otherwise solitary. *'Typical EQ': ~1.0 Most studies on raccoon intelligence are over a century old, so they might not be very reliable today. According to a 1907 study, found them to be much more apt to problem-solving (specifically, escaping from puzzle-boxes) than cats or dogs, even on par with monkeys. Raccoons display a great curiosity about their environment and forage in a similar way to small primates; if they developed a more complex social structure they could get very close to monkeys in their behaviour. 'Pigs' *'Manipulators': none. *'Feeding habits': extremely omnivorous, mostly rooting in vegetation, rarely scavengers. *'Society': matriarchal groups with common breeding, strong hierarchies from birth. *'Typical EQ': ~1.0 Wild pigs also have some features in common with primates: they form groups were each individual needs to keep track of others, and they forage often on a variety of foods. Though they don't recognise themselves in a mirror, they are able to use said mirror to find food hidden behind them, provided that they already was taught its workings. Pigs have a good memory, especially for food sources, and they can easily be trained. Anyway, they lack manipulation organs, though it's been suggested that their sensitive snout could evolve in an elephant-like trunk with the right selective pressure (for example, to strip branches of their leaves). Birds Birds have a metabolic activity similar to that of mammals (and sometimes even higher) and their neurons are more densely packed in the brain, allowing them to rival large mammals in intelligence with much smaller bodies. Some groups, including corvids and parrots, also show extensive offspring care, a prerequisite (and perhaps a cause?) to the development of a culture. 'Corvids' *'Manipulators': none specialized (they can hold tools with the beak and the feet). *'Feeding habits': usually omnivorous, mostly small preys and plants. *'Society': some solitary; some live in organized groups with a strong hierarchy; offspring care. *'Typical EQ': ~2.5 'Parrots' *'Manipulators': none specialized (they can hold tools with the beak and the feet). *'Feeding habits': mostly herbivorous (seeds, fruit, nectar), rarely small preys. *'Society': some solitary, some live in large flocks; offspring care. *'Typical EQ': ~1.5 Cephalopods Other animals Reptiles Arthropods Swarm intelligence Examples in speculative biology Category:Intelligence Category:Intelligent animals